Re:Airbnb’s ‘Guerrilla War’ Against Local Governments
by drstewart on Wednesday March 20, 2019 @12:57PM
(#19444133)
Sounds like an easy solution. Raze all the vacant hotels that surely have been put under by the lack of demand as it shifts to Airbnb and make those apartments you can buy instead.
Re:Airbnb’s ‘Guerrilla War’ Against Local Governments
by pjc50 on Wednesday March 20, 2019 @01:05PM
(#19444243)
The hotels usually remain full. There's a huge pent-up demand for tourism.
Re:Airbnb’s ‘Guerrilla War’ Against Local Governments
by drstewart on Wednesday March 20, 2019 @04:22PM
(#19446435)
Now you get it. Airbnb is providing a service there's a huge demand and need for, not some evil provider that's forcing something down people's throats.
Re:Airbnb’s ‘Guerrilla War’ Against Local Governments
by simias on Thursday March 21, 2019 @05:25AM
(#19450339)
You're being obtuse. It's simply a case of a tragedy of the commons, the commons in this case being available real-estate. Paris is already one of the densest cities in the world, if you add more tourist lodgings you have to push somebody else out.
Besides you make it sound like enabling more tourism is unambiguously a good thing. It's true that it has positive side-effects (mostly on the economy) but it also leads to degradation, overcrowding and, as we were discussing, an explosion of the cost of life for the locals. I often hear tourists complaining that they don't get an "authentic" experience abroad, how could they when the place they visit have been deserted by the locals?
First we couldn't buy and we were forced to rent because wealthy folks would buy the real estate in bulk to rent it and/or use it as a speculative investment, driving prices up and making it unafordable. Now they don't even bother to rent it long-term to locals, they're better off putting it on AirBnB for tourists at a much higher rate. Try renting a flat long-term in Lisbon these days and tell me how it goes.
I obviously don't know your situation and maybe there was some overreach in your case but in some cities government meddling is absolutely necessary lest the place turns into a Disneyland resort for wealthy tourists.